11 June 2011

This is absolutely brilliant. NBA basketball player-turned-social activist and entrepreneur John Amaechi has been awarded the Officer of Order of the British Empire for his services to sport and charity. Amaechi told R20 on Thursday. The official announcement was today in the Queen's Birthday Honours 2011 list, reports The Independent.

The now retired England international – who played for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Orlando Magic and the Utah Jazz – as well as leading European clubs, was also honoured for his work with troubled kids on both sides of the Atlantic. Amaechi set up a basketball centre in Manchester, worked with the Big Brothers mentoring scheme and devoted much of his time to political activities surrounding social inclusion and gay rights.

"I was once an overweight bookworm who hid in the corner of my school library and wished I was invisible," he said. "My mother told me that I could do better and I hope to use this platform to convince other young people just how true this can be for them too."

The 40-year-old Manchester native was at one point "the highest paid British athlete in the world." Amaechi captained England's basketball team and led the squad to its first-ever international medal in basketball at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne in 2006.

The distinguished awards are published twice a year, at the beginning of the New yYear and on the Queen's official birthday. The Queen’s New Year's Honours List 2011 awarded an MBE to another Black gay man. Fifty-year-old Aslie Pitter founded Britain's first gay football club and was recognized for his 20-year-fight against homophobia.

15 October 2007

Starting off this week's jock watch: British footballer phenom and Rod 2.0 crush Rio Ferdinand object is momentarily sidelined when his SUV careens off the road.

Reports from across the pond say the Manchester United star and teammate Wayne Rooney were in the luxury SUV when the "Rover swerved into a 10ft ditch and rolled over. Rooney, a passenger in the £70,000 motor, had to kick out a window to get free."

The accident happened on "a concrete track used by players to get to and from training leading to the club's Carrington training complex." Rollover accidents often happen when SUVs are driven too fast and are usually serious, but, luckily no injuries in this case.

Meanwhile, the football phenom continues his platform against racism. Late last week, Rio Ferdinand teamed up with British rap artists for a music event at Manchester secondary schools. He spoke to some 300 students about his "experiences of racism in sport and answered questions."

02 October 2006

Rio Ferdinand, Manchester United's star defender, was forced into a hasty on-air apology after he called a BBC radio host a "faggot." During the exchange, DJ Chris Moyles insisted upon asking Ferdinand which teammmate he found more attractive—Paul Scholes or Alan Smith.

"Ferdinand replied: “That is not my bag, that is not my game, talking about going out with geezers.” When Moyles said that he would always prefer Smith, Ferdinand replied: “You’re a faggot.” Realising his mistake, he said: “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I’m not homophobic.”

Rio Ferdinand has been active in anti-bullying campaigns and gay activists were willing to accepty his apology. Peter Tatchell, the well-known spokesman for OutRage!: "Even as a joke homophobic quips are just as unacceptable as racist ones but since Rio Ferdinand very promptly apologised, I am happy to accept his regret and leave it at that."

03 October 2005

Over the weekend, the Manchester Art Gallery debuted Black Victorians, a wonderful new exhibit that documents the history of blacks in 19th century art. Above are Arthur Wharton, Britain's first black footballer and Mary Seacole, a pioneering nurse and heroine of the Crimean War. The event is co-sponsored by the Professional Footballers' Association. It's a beautiful collection, a mixture of paintings, daguerrotypes and photographs. More pics at this BBC slideshow.

When Worlds Collide is the first novel of Bahamian-born Shawn Forbes, and already we're impressed. The main reason? It's multi-dimensional. The storyline is layered and personalities are complex, hailing from a variety of international backgrounds and circumstances. There are three main characters—Stephen Taylor is somewhat the lead, a young Bahamian who moves to England to attend university. He struggles with his sexuality, confronting several obstacles, a nervous breakdown, and, for some time, tries his hand at marriage. An interesting development, not the usual course in gay novels, but it reflects the reality of many men from the islands whose culture often pushes them into marriage and denial.

Stephen was more confused now than before. He was, after all, in a sham marriage. He had never been in love with his wife. Although he loved her a lot, he had married her only to reconcile with his mother. He realized that he lived in a society where such behavior between men—particularly black men—was not tolerated. He would never be able to fall in love and lead a productive life, enjoyed life with a male partner. Certainly not in a small country like the Bahamas.